I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

[RockNRoling]

I know the amp I want is out there but I am running out of ideas! I want an amp that has that really bluesy sound (strats and tele being played) My Fender Twin just isn't it, it barks too much. I know I am looking for some sort of fender-like sound. Very clean with a lot of bluesy break up. Any ideas guys????

Here is the tone I am looking for:
Joe Walsh clean tone in LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Matchbox Twenty 3am
Stevie Ray Vaughn Lenny
U2 where the streets have no names
Vertical Horizon Best I Ever Had

I have yet to try a Fender Bassman 4x10, and I really like the Crate V-series, but they don't have the bottom end that the fenders do....

THANKS IN ADVANCE!!

 

[Hellion]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

Have you tried a Hot Rod Deville by Fender? One of my part time guitarists uses that when he works with us, playing a Strat. One of the best bluesy tones I've ever heard.

 

[RockNRoling]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

actually I had the 2 12 Deville before I had the Twin!
I need something with a little bit of gain and I didn't like the overdrive channels on the DeVilles. But thanks for chiming in!

 

[Curly]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

it's hard for me to recommend something, because it looks like you have several different tones listed, and I doubt if one amp will do a good job of all those tones

U2's tone is typically Vox AC 30

Lenny was a clean Fender tone

I don't know what Joe Walsh used on "Fast Lane", but I've read he's taking a Dr Z amp (among other things) on tour

can't say about the other two

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

'59 Bassman maybe...

 

[RockNRoling]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

anyone ever played through a Fender Vibrolux??? I am reading about those right now...

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

anyone ever played through a Fender Vibrolux??? I am reading about those right now...

I'd stick with the '65 Twin over the Vibrolux if it came down between those two.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

I love my Vibrolux Reverb-Amp. Probably the ultimate amp for a Tele...at least Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton seemed to think so, and they were the Ultimate Tele Players IMO.

I'd say you should be on the look out for some sort of blackface or silverface Fender amp with reverb: Deluxe Reverb, Vibrolux Reverb, etc.

The '59 Bassman is a very cool amp too. Might be a little glassier and crunchier than you're after. Might be louder than you're after too.

If you have a powerful 80 - 100 watt amp like a Twin Reverb it's impossible to get natural overdrive tones at a low volume without using an overdrive pedal, and that's not "natural"! :smack: :laugh2:

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

But I'd take a Bassman over any other full sized Fender amp.

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

good advice from Lew!

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

But I'd take a Bassman over any other full sized Fender amp.

I have a real '59 4x10 tweed Bassman.

I play my Deluxe Reverb and tweed 5E3 Deluxe much more often.

In fact, I never play my tweed Bassman...I'm going to sell it.

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

I have a real '59 4x10 tweed Bassman.

I play my Deluxe Reverb and tweed 5E3 Deluxe much more often.

In fact, I never play my tweed Bassman...I'm going to sell it.

They weigh a fricking ton too! I like how the Bassman takes pedals though, IMO better than any other Fender amp.

gotta get a spell-check :laugh2:

 

[skyydogg01]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

have you tried the Mesa F-series? particularly the F-50? the clean channel is pure blackface and it gets real nice and dirty if you pick up the gain. the reverb is pretty good too. Not too expensive either, only like $1000.

 

[Curly]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

I think a Rivera Chubster might suit you

 

[gOgIver]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

I have a real '59 4x10 tweed Bassman.

I play my Deluxe Reverb and tweed 5E3 Deluxe much more often.

In fact, I never play my tweed Bassman...I'm going to sell it.

These are all originals right? That must be cool. Ever A/B your Vibrolux, Deluxe or Bassman with the RI's? I'd guess the real deals would take the prize, everytime, huh?

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

Here is the tone I am looking for:
Joe Walsh clean tone in LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Matchbox Twenty 3am
Stevie Ray Vaughn Lenny
U2 where the streets have no names
Vertical Horizon Best I Ever Had

Those sounds are really pretty different. The nice tight "spank" you're talking about I always associate with Fender Blackface amps at the point JUST before they really start to break up.

Being an owner of a Deluxe Reverb i would vote for checking one of those out. But keep in mind that alot of that amp tone-wise comes from how hard you're pushing it. The sounds were talking about won't present themselves without significant volume. If you're not getting it past 1.5 then you'll never hear them. You probably know this but it seems important to mention as it' becomes a more overlooked concept with buyers these days.

 

[tone4days]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

try some of the dr z's if you can .. i played one with some teles this summer and it sounded incredible .

i think that 3am by mb20 was strat through boogie .. great tune - great tone

cheerst4d

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

For SRV and Matchbox 20, I'd go with a Blackface, probably a Super. For U2, you need an AC30, an old Korg delay rackmount unit, and an Explorer with the pickups lowered into the rings.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

These are all originals right? That must be cool. Ever A/B your Vibrolux, Deluxe or Bassman with the RI's? I'd guess the real deals would take the prize, everytime, huh?

Yep. Great speakers and great tubes can really make the reissues come alive though. Lew

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: I swear I have tried every amp... still stumped!

Vibrolux Reverbs are outstanding blues amps. Throw a tube screamer in there and you're in business. The Vibrolux Reverb has more gain to it from the reverb circuit. The silverface ones typically break up later than the blackface ones. This might be good because you can get a decent clean volume and use a pedal to push it over the top.

I don't think you can find an amp that covers all that territory you mentioned and if you didn't like your Twin's cleans, odds are you won't like the Vibrolux Reverb's.